


Why Don't You Figure My Heart Out?

by nachaelsquared



Series: Hooked On Love [2]
Category: Queen (Band)
Genre: Christmas, Domestic Fluff, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Fluff, Kissing, Multi, Smut, Surprises, Sweaters, Teasing
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-05-20
Updated: 2020-06-01
Packaged: 2021-03-03 05:42:30
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 6,367
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24289891
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nachaelsquared/pseuds/nachaelsquared
Summary: Freddie is upset that all of his boyfriends have to leave to visit their families for a few days, but he receives a certain surprise that makes it all better.
Relationships: John Deacon/Brian May/Freddie Mercury/Roger Taylor
Series: Hooked On Love [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1753522
Comments: 16
Kudos: 32





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Katishas_right_elbow](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Katishas_right_elbow/gifts).



> Hey all! Wow, it's been a while since I've posted anything on here but now that the spring semester is over, hopefully I'll have more time to get back into writing.
> 
> I know it's May and nowhere near Christmas but what better time of year to have sweaters than in the winter (which is personally my favorite season) and I wasn't sure what to make the tags for this story so ignore those lol 
> 
> This was a prompt from someone so I hope I'll do the idea justice and I promise there will be smut soon, I just had to set the story up first. Also, I tried to look into British TV in the 70s as much as possible so my references should be correct :)
> 
> And in case anyone was wondering, the title is from the lyrics to "Heart Out" by The 1975.

“Do you _ all  _ really have to leave me at such a special time of the year?”

“It’s only a few days, Fred, we’ll be back before you know it.”

Freddie huffed at the reasonable answer, stalking into the room from his previous stance leaning against the doorframe and dramatically plopping himself down onto the mattress.

“You’re on my suitcase,” Brian smiled, throwing the thick jumper down onto the singer whose elbow was pressing into the neatly folded trousers and ruining their precise packaging. The older brunette laughed at the action, hugging the plush fabric and pouting up at his tallest partner. 

“Does anybody around here even love me anymore?”

“Don’t fall for it, Bri,” John sighed as he joined the pair in the cramped bedroom, sliding past the guitarist to look over the smattering of jewelry littering the surface of the small dresser. “If we didn’t love him, we wouldn’t be able to pack our own clothes from his flat.”

“Love is not mooching off of living at my place!” Freddie defended, balling up the sweater in his arms and throwing it across the room at the youngest. 

John hardly reacted to the projectile, scoffing when it hit his back but continuing to mutter to himself as he sifted through the piles of ornate, intricate accessories. “Has anyone seen Roger’s silver chain?”

“I’m not sure...I think he just wore it yesterday. He can’t look for it himself?” Brian asked as he pushed another shirt hanging in the closet to the side while he continued to search for his own belongings among the abundance of tops. 

“Apparently leaving his place in front of the telly is too taxing on his energy supply.”

“Is he watching that _ Upstairs, Downstairs  _ programme again?” Freddie interjected, smiling to himself when the bassist turned around to give him a look that proved his assumption couldn’t have been more correct. “I swear, nobody else his age would be caught dead getting wrapped up in a period drama.”

“Maybe you lot could learn something from it!” An annoyed voice shouted from the other end of the flat, causing the three men crowded in the bedroom to all laugh at the blonde’s bitterness. 

Freddie decided to jump up from the bed, travelling out to his living room and laughing again to himself at the sight of the drummer sat cross-legged on the floor in front of the sofa with his eyes glued to the screen. He dropped himself on the furniture and sprawled across the cushions, hoping to catch his boyfriend’s attention and running a hand through his blonde locks when his original plan failed. Roger turned around for only a split second to smile at the singer, relaxing into the feel of Freddie’s fingers continuing to play with his unkempt, obviously just rolled out of bed hairdo as he tried to keep his focus on the show.

“You know I was just joking...I think it’s adorable that you like watching this soap opera,” Freddie whispered, feigning offense when Roger aimlessly threw his hand back to smack the singer’s leg. 

“It’s not a soap opera! It’s better than Brian’s stupid obsession with _UFO_ ,” The drummer defended, trying not to smile at his own joke when he heard the singer giggle behind him. “Shouldn’t you be trying to coax me into staying home for the week?”

“I would, but I know it’s pointless,” Freddie answered with an exaggerated sigh, pouting again when Roger turned to him with his eyebrows raised. “And yes, I already know it’s only a few days and I’ll survive...it’s just not fair.”

“Listen, I’m not gonna have any more fun listening to my mum rant about how skinny I am than you’ll have here without us. But just think of how easy you’ll be able to run the stall without me over your shoulder!”

“I’m not as good at using my charming looks to close deals with the women as you are.”

“That’s just cause I don’t act as fruity as you,” Roger smiled, gasping when he received a well-deserved tug on his hair and devolving into a fit of laughing as he dodged an additional smack to the back of his head. 

Their dispute didn’t have time to evolve into an actual argument because the presence of Brian walking into the room with his bag in hand and coat already sitting on his shoulders made them both stop to observe his tall form. John shortly followed him, strolling into the room and sitting himself in the worn armchair. 

“Alright boys, I’m gonna head out now,” Brian quietly said to break the sudden silence, letting his gaze linger over all of his partners but seemingly spending little time on the bassist - obvious by the way he quickly darted his eyes away from the youngest of the group while the latter smirked at his hesitance. Freddie sat up on the couch and held his arms out, making the guitarist crack a smile at the child-like gesture as he made the short trip over to his boyfriend. It was very much an awkward position for a hug but the pair made it work nonetheless, Freddie refusing to let Brian stand up after the embrace by gently gripping his cheeks and pulling him into a lingering kiss. 

“Make sure you tell your mum how much we appreciate her knitting,” Freddie added as he finally pulled away, tracing his finger along the knitted fabric still exposed between the unbuttoned sides of his partner’s coat. Brian rolled his eyes at the comment but couldn’t deny the faint blush that started to creep up on his cheeks, looking to the ground when a cold hand wrapped around his calf. Roger looked up at him with wide eyes, sticking his lip out in a frown in a clear explanation that he wasn’t willing to stand up to give his goodbye. 

“Really? I’m not even worth it to get up?” Brian sighed as he crouched to his knees anyways, almost losing his balance when the blonde suddenly gripped his jumper to pull him closer. 

“I’m too tired,” Roger grumbled before pressing a light kiss to his tallest boyfriend’s lips.

“My bad, how could I not have known you’d be tired from waking up an hour ago and walking straight to the living room without even bothering to change out of your pyjamas?” The older of the two sarcastically replied, finishing the question with another chaste kiss and smirking at the drummer’s look of disbelief as he stood up again. 

His last stop was John, only needing to bend down a little to reach the brunette’s lips in his position in the chair and stumbling when another rough hand grabbed at his clothing. 

“Oi, I’m not a ragdoll to b-” Brian laughed but was cut-off by John consuming his lips in a less than innocent kiss, the blush on his cheeks turning a deeper shade of pink at the unexpected action. John released him after a few seconds, whispering something in the guitarist’s ear that the other two struggled to hear. They noticed Brian’s eyes comically widened as whatever the bassist was saying to him sank in, giving each other a suspicious look that something must’ve happened when the pair were alone in the bedroom together after the older of the two nodded before standing up straight and adjusting the neck of his sweater. 

With that, Brian was out the door and on his way to visit his family - leaving Freddie to already miss his company despite being surrounded by his other two boyfriends. Roger was still intent on paying attention to his show, eyes seemingly glued open in awe at what was playing out on the screen which enticed Freddie to at least give the episode a chance, while John had picked up a stray magazine that was one of many strewn about the singer’s flat to drown out the programme. The comfortable silence between them interlaced with the chatter from the television set was soon broken, though, the screen fading to black as the clock on the wall chimed to signal it was already ten o’clock bursting the bubble of their timed togetherness. 

Roger groaned as he stood up from his spot, turning his sound into a yawn as he dramatically stretched his arms over his head. “I should probably get dressed, I’ve gotta leave soon,” He added, yelping when Freddie’s arms laced around his waist to pull him down onto the sofa. 

“Or you could stay with me just a little longer,” Freddie whispered, pressing a kiss against the drummer’s cheek while he playfully squirmed in his hold.

“Well...I know to leave when I’m not wanted,” John sighed in jest as he noisily set the magazine back down, getting up and breaking his facade to laugh when Roger hooked a finger in the belt loop of his jeans. 

“Don’t be ridiculous, I’d never let any of you leave if I could,” Freddie replied slightly out of breath thanks to the two grown men now sitting on top of him - not that he’d ever complain about it. “Especially for a whole bloody week.”

“It’s only a workweek and I think my mum’s starting to forget what I look like,” John joked, smiling when Roger simply shook his head as the singer rolled his eyes at the statement. “Besides, we’ll get to spend actual Christmas together at least.”

“I know but that’s so far away,” Freddie complained and letting a frown take over his features when John stood up again to walk towards the door, grabbing his coat with a small smile. 

“I wouldn’t call less than a fortnight far away,” The bassist replied, holding down a smile at Freddie’s disappointed huff when Roger also pulled away from his embrace.

“It’s really already that soon?” Roger nervously asked, turning off the television set and looking between the other two men. 

“Forgot to buy anyone any gifts?” Freddie teased, relaxing back into the cushions with an evil grin while the blonde chewed on his lip. 

“Uh...no,” Roger answered, holding his head in his hand in a vain attempt to hide the rising blush on his cheeks. “D-did you ever find my necklace, Deaky?”

“Nice subject change, but no...maybe you left it somewhere else,” John answered while he buttoned up his jacket and picked up his own bag settled by the door. “Well, I should head off now, don’t want to miss my train.”

“Wait!” Roger interjected, rushing over to the bassist with the biggest puppy dog eyes he could muster. “Do you think you could possibly maybe pretty please wait for me to go to the station with you?”

John rolled his eyes at the question, quietly laughing when the drummer clasped his hands together and stuck his lip out in a ridiculous pout. “I suppose...but you have to go get dressed first,” He grinned while giving his youngest boyfriend a gentle push on the chest to effectively deter the distracting kiss that was bound to follow.

Freddie couldn’t help but laugh along as Roger scurried out of the room, the blonde rushing to get himself together with the knowledge that John would threaten to leave without him if he took too long. Roger wished he would’ve been smart enough to pack his bag the night before, hastily slipping off his pyjamas and throwing on whatever semi-clean articles of clothing he could find scattered along the floor of Freddie’s bedroom, ignoring who they rightfully belonged to as long as they decently fit his smaller form. The same attitude applied to the fabric he threw in his suitcase, praying there was still some underwear and toiletries stashed in there from his last stay at home and stopping to pat down his disheveled hair in the mirror before dashing back out of the room.

“That was quick,” Freddie observed as he turned towards the drummer, now standing up next to John with his arms crossed. 

“I can act fast when I need to,” Roger winked, making John grimace at the implied innuendo and Freddie crack another smile. 

The trio said their goodbyes in a similar fashion to how they had when Brian walked out the door, but with much more ease now that they were all around the same height and Roger apparently had it within him to stand up for a kiss. Freddie waved them goodbye as they left his flat, sadly smiling to himself as they turned the corner out of his sight and sighing as he shut the door again. 

He knew it would be a rough time without any of his boyfriends, even though they had promised to call every night and it really only was a handful of days, but Freddie knew he’d get through it when he pulled the thin silver chain from his pocket - reveling in the memories of the other three men supported by their belongings filling his tight space and sitting back down on the couch as another episode of _ Upstairs, Downstairs  _ began.


	2. Chapter 2

It had hardly been a few hours since Freddie was left alone in his flat, but the boredom of being alone so close to holidays was already getting to him. Unfortunately, it was a Sunday - the coveted day of the weekend he and Roger had deemed their deserved day off from running their stall at the market - so there was really nowhere for him to go to escape the constant reminders of his boyfriends that were likely hundreds of kilometres away as the sun started to set on another frigid day of winter. 

He decided maybe it was best to set up a surprise for his partners, searching his place high and low for any sort of decoration that he swore he had. It was too ridiculous and expensive to buy a tree for his living room, not to mention the effort and strength it would take to lug it across London all by himself. After a few minutes of searching for anything to put up on the walls, the singer angrily huffed at the lack of options in his possession to make his flat feel more in the Christmas spirit and threw the few ornaments he’d collected over the years of moving away from home down on his bed in frustration. 

The shrill ringing of the telephone sat on his bedside table prevented him from going into an actual fit of rage, Freddie taking in deep breath before plucking the phone off of the receiver and smiling with his greeting even though nobody could see it. 

_ “Hey Freddie, everything alright?”  _ Brian’s calm and slightly grainy voice asked through the speaker.

“Well...other than the fact that I’m sitting on my bed all alone, I suppose I’m doing fine,” Freddie responded with a sigh, holding down another smile at Brian’s quiet laugh.

_ “I’m sorry, love, but it’s only been a few hours. And we’ll all be back crowding your flat in no time.” _

“I doubt I’ll even survive until then,” Freddie frowned while sitting back against his pillows and twirling the phone cord in between his fingers. “So how are your parents?”

_ “Certainly not as exciting as being with you and John and Rog, but you know my mum adores fawning over me like I’m still a little boy. I’m absolutely terrified to tell them I’ll be stopping my schooling for the band, though.” _

It was typically hard to read someone's emotions over the phone, but the time they had spent together helped Freddie realise the sadness in his oldest boyfriend’s tone and felt his heart tug at the practically whispered admission. “Bri...you worry too much about the simplest things, I’m sure they’ll trust your decision as a grown adult.”

_ “Yeah, try convincing my father being a musician is a better career path,”  _ Brian responded with a sadly quiet laugh, sighing into the phone and significantly lowering his voice before starting his next sentence. _ “I should be more worried about the love bite Deaky left right near the collar of my jumper this morning.” _

“I was wondering what was going on between the two of you earlier.”

_ “Yeah, you know how he gets...I just hope my folks don’t notice or ask about my relationship status,”  _ Brian continued, his tone dipping into slightly depressed again at the vague mention of their socially frowned upon love. 

Freddie didn’t have time to think of a response before another muffled voice came over the line, clearly higher pitched and further away which made it difficult to decipher what was being said. 

_ “Okay Mum...yes, I’ll be right down. Sorry Fred, I’ve got to let you go now.” _

“Alright, I better hear from you tomorrow night as well.”

_ “Of course...love you,”  _ Brian said, lowering his voice to a whisper for the last part to make sure the singer was the only one to hear it. 

“Love you too,” Freddie smiled in a similar volume despite the lack of any eavesdroppers around him before setting the phone back down and shifting to lay against his overcrowding collection of pillows.

He hardly had any time to let his eyes slip shut with the intention of dozing off since there seemed to be nothing else to do for the day when the phone rang again and he picked it up after letting out a low groan. His attitude was immediately wiped away to be replaced with bubbling happiness to hear John’s thick accent speaking to him, sitting up with a new excitement and forgetting the agonizing boredom plaguing his mind. 

The day had rapidly ended to turn into the next as Freddie finished up his chat with the youngest just to get another phone call from his favorite blonde, the pale moonlight shining through the window illuminating the silent fall of snowflakes outside that had already created a soft, white blanket on top of the streets. The snow was accompanied by a seemingly inhumane cold temperature and Freddie shivered as he made his way over to the closet, pulling one of the handmade sweaters from Brian’s mother made specifically for the lanky guitarist off of the hanger after discarding his day clothes and slipping it over his head. 

The knitted fabric hilariously hung off his arms and went far past his waist, and Freddie couldn’t help but giggle to himself at the ridiculous sight as he caught a glimpse of himself in the mirror. The bed felt incredibly empty without the three other men squished onto it and while the space that allowed him to roll to whichever side he wanted was a nice change, he’d rather be smothered with the other bodies than having to clutch onto a pillow to replace putting his arm around one of them. He found it difficult to fall asleep with the abrupt routine change but the warming comfort of the jumper and the weight of Roger’s favorite chain still clasped in his palm helped him doze off - the only hitch is his slumber being the rough feel of John’s bass strap hidden under the pillows from when Roger had recently begged them into trying something more adventurous ruining one of his restless change of positions. 

The first few days went as uneventful as Freddie had expected, moping about at the stall where scarcely a handful of customers bothered to visit as most of their common demographic was likely off to visit their own families off in other places just to trudge home and only have his mood lifted by the string of phone calls from his boyfriends. 

That was until the third day of standing behind the counter at the stall, Freddie sighing to himself as he flipped another page of his worn fashion magazine. Nobody had come in the entire day and the shop was set to close in a little less than an hour, so he had decided to switch the radio on and stop staring at the door as if that would magically draw in a customer. 

The ringing of the bell above the door caught his attention, lifting his head to find a petite woman he had never seen walk in before who looked about his own age already smiling at him. 

“Afternoon,” Freddie grinned with his lips closed, casting his gaze back down to the magazine as the woman strode past the neat racks of clothes. “Looking for anything specific today?”

“Oh, no, just browsing the selection,” She responded, mindlessly running her hands along the row of shirts and only stopping her walk as she approached the desk to rest her hands just to the sides of the opened magazine. Freddie looked up at her again with a slow nod and small smile, unsure how to react to her strange body language and intense stare. “You’re in Queen, right?”

“Yes...you’ve seen our shows?” Freddie asked back, slightly more interested in the conversation that gave him some sort of human interaction he’d been lacking for days. 

“Plenty and my eyes are _ always  _ trained on you,” The woman answered with a flip of her bleach-blonde hair over her shoulder and batting of her fanned out eyelashes. 

“Oh, well, uh,” Freddie stuttered, blushing when one of her hands reached out to trace a finger along the sleeve of his shirt. “I-I’m flattered but-”

“Are you single? Because I’d love for you to take me out some time.”

“I’m actually taken,” Freddie gulped, scared of the woman’s reaction and nervously smiling when she simply took her hand away from his arm to rest her chin in while her elbows pressed against the counter. 

“That’s a shame...I’m sure she’s a lucky one.”

“Y-yeah, I hope she’d think so,” Freddie lied through his teeth, trying not to laugh at the woman’s lack of awareness of the true situation. 

“Well...I guess I should be going, but maybe I’ll stop by every now and then to check in on you,” The enamoured stranger concluded with a wink, blowing him a kiss before turning on her heel to leave just as quickly as she had come in. 

Freddie wasn’t sure what to think of the woman, shaking his head with a small laugh as the clanging of the bell above the door went silent again and turning his attention back to the glossy pages he had scanned many times before. The rest of the day continued on as uneventful and the sun was already setting behind him again as he closed up the stall and shoved his hands in his pockets as he scuffled down the street. 

He was intent on finally getting around to buying some more decorations for his flat, determined to get them up before his boyfriends returned and knowing he was quickly running out of time to do so. The golly people milling about the stores and somehow enjoying the cold weather only made his scowl grow deeper, jealous of the happy faces and wishing his lovers were there to share the day with him - thinking Roger would find the woman hitting on him extremely humourous and figuring retelling the story just wouldn’t be the same. 

The singer trudged along anyway, spending a few hours picking out the perfect items and heading home with absolutely no knowledge of what surprise was waiting on the other side of his front door.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this was so horribly short :(
> 
> I just really wanted a cute filler chapter, but more is coming soon!


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I promise the smut is coming in the next chapter, but here's another sort of filler that just adds a little more plot before we get there.

Brian knew it was a terrible excuse, but he had to think of some way to avoid telling his parents that he wanted to travel back home because he couldn’t stand being away from Freddie, as well as his other boyfriends who’d used their frequently fallible logic to construct a plan to surprise the singer with their presence a few days earlier. Saying Freddie had suddenly fallen ill with a nasty cold was the best he could come up with, the questionably concerned looks written on his folks faces as they sat at the small kitchen table and he hovered in the doorway of the kitchen with his bags already packed and in hand telling him they probably knew something was off. He felt awfully guilty for leaving so unexpectedly as he picked up a piece of toast from the thought-out plate of lunch set out for him, refusing to look anywhere else except the floor while his mother scurried out of the room to fetch something she’d wanted to save until he was set to go back to London. 

“So,” Brian’s father started with a clear of his throat, the sternness in his tone forcing the guitarist to stand up a little straighter, “I expect these friends of yours aren’t interfering with the success of your studies. I’d hate to think you’ve moved away just to waste your money and intelligence up in The Big Smoke.”

“No, Dad, my grades have been just fine,” Brian answered before swallowing the lump in his throat, still too nervous to bring up his news about the band. “They’re all great blokes if you’d give them a chance...all of them attending university along with just playing their instruments.”

“For something useful, I pray.”

“John’s set up for a first class honors degree in electronics by the time he’s finished,” Brian supplied through a mouth full of food, murmuring an apology when his father reminded him of the rude mannerism. “Our music isn’t a complete waste of time spent between classes.”

“It’s a hobby that should be secondary to your proficiency in science,” His father retorted, taking a sip from his mug while continuing to stare his son down with a look that left no room for argument. Brian didn’t have time to think of a defense anyways, the reemerged presence of his mother with her arms full of small boxes cutting the conversation short. 

“I hope this won’t be too much trouble for you, dear,” She explained, carefully dumping the boxes into his grip with a small smile, “I just wanted to get your mates a little something for the holidays since they mean so much to you.”

“Mum, you really didn’t have to-”

“Oh don’t start with that nonsense, young man. It’s a mother’s duty to make sure her son is well taken care of and I won’t accept any kind of opposition,” She cut him off with a disapproving wave of her finger while her other hand cocked on her hip. “There’s a few gifts for you in there too that better stay wrapped until Christmas morning.”

“Well, thank you but I should probably head out now,” Brian replied with a sigh, reluctantly ducking down to allow his mother to press a gentle kiss to his cheek. 

He said his goodbyes to both of them before leaving until his next visit back home, feeling incredibly guilty for holding back the full truth from his family but knowing there was no way he’d find the courage to turn around and admit everything - at least in the sense of his potential music career. It was a much more daunting and a practically unspeakable thought to approach even mentioning his sexuality, let alone alluding to the fact that he was currently involved with not just another man, but three of them. Something in the way his mother delicately spoke on the topic of the men in question often made him wonder if in some way she already knew, but he figured that in reality she was most likely none the wiser and just enjoyed that he wasn’t spending his days with absolutely no company, even if he hadn’t brought home a proper girlfriend in a while. 

Brian’s spiraling thoughts carried him through the journey home, finding himself in London in no time considering he was technically the shortest distance away to begin with. It was still much too early in the day to hang around Freddie’s place and wait for the others to arrive, so Brian decided it was best to make a stop to his own flat to drop off some of his belongings and keep the new presents out of reach from the curious minds of his boyfriends. 

As it always was, Brian’s flat was immaculately clean as he pushed open the squeaky door his landlord always promised to fix - maybe a little too sterile due to the fact that the recent exams before their holiday break required tiring sessions of studying the dusty books that cost a pretty penny just to rent and odd hours in the studio kept him practically anywhere except home. It wasn’t the worst situation in the world, though, often glad to be whisked away to spend the night at Freddie’s with the other two instead of having to trudge back to the loneliness of his own place. 

A quiet sigh fell past his lips as he made his way towards his bedroom, throwing his bag and armful of gifts down onto the previously wrinkle-free duvet to ruin the unsettling yet impressive tidiness of the room. He couldn’t help the smile that crept onto his face as he pushed the packages into a pile to give himself some room on the mattress, slightly embarrassed to think his own mother had put more thought into his friends’ happiness at the holidays than he had. To be fair, Brian thought, a student budget didn’t allow for many lavish gifts for three other people and he wasn’t the craftiest man alive, so the few thoughtful items wrapped and stored in his closet would have to do for now. 

Only a few minutes had passed when Brian finished emptying out his suitcase, adding the few sweaters his mother had knitted to his closet and throwing his others clothes into the hamper to be washed another time - probably weeks down the line when he’d get sick of passing around the same worn shirts between his boyfriends and remembered there were still some items claimed as exclusively his own. 

The weather had not wavered in its unforgiving bitterness as winter raged on, so the guitarist chose to pluck one of his favorite jumpers from the hangers to add underneath the lining of his jacket with the certainty that the trip over to Freddie’s place would be less than pleasant. Another blanket of snow was starting to settle on the city as Brian made the short trip only a few blocks over on foot, the slipperiness making it incredibly difficult to not fall and make a fool of himself. The setting sun did nothing to help the sogginess of his outfit as he entered the warmth of the old building, frowning at the rapidly melting snowflakes nestled in his hair as he dug in his pocket for the spare key Freddie insisted on all of them having in case anything were to happen, a slightly silly notion considering most of their free time as a group was spent there anyways. 

As expected, Freddie’s flat was relatively silent, save for the slushy rush of cars outside the thin windows that were fogged with the contrast of temperatures on either side. Brian knew as the sky grew darker that he was running out of time before the singer would be home from working at the stall, gently hanging his coat on the rack and scurrying towards the kitchen to start on a simple dinner for all of them. Before he could pass the threshold, though, a glimmer shining from the couch as he flipped the lightswitch on caught his eye and upon further inspection, right in plain sight next to the television remote on the cushion, sat Roger’s beloved chain he had been looking for before leaving a few days ago. 

Brian shook his head in disbelief as he continued on to the kitchen, laughing to himself at the expected slyness from the oldest of the group that had slipped all of their minds. He apparently had spent too much time at his own flat earlier because just as he had turned on the burner to start boiling some water, the creaking of the front door being opened caught his attention and made him poke his head around the wall. 

Freddie was apparently too downtrodden to even look up as he shut the door behind himself, depressingly hanging his keys on the hook while toeing off his shoes and giving no care to the fact that his lights were on despite remembering turning them off before leaving earlier. He had only taken a few steps into his living room when he noticed a pair of feet already standing on the floor, slowly raising his head to find the tall guitarist sheepishly smiling at him with his hands locked together in front of his torso. 

“Surprise,” Brian softly said with a nervous shrug of his shoulders, gasping when Freddie lunged towards him to wrap him in a bone-crushing hug. He had no time or room to reciprocate the embrace, laughing as he accepted the giddy force that spun them around before pushing them to the ground and surely would upset the neighbours below. 

The youngest of the pair had no chance to take in a breath before the singer, now essentially laying on top of him, was capturing his lips in a sloppy kiss while moving his hands to softly cup his cheeks. Despite his lack of air, Brian didn’t fight back and used his position to his advantage, letting Freddie control the embrace while relaxing into the soft carpet he’d deny having ever been caught in a similar situation on. He stared up wide-eyed at the brunette when the latter pulled away, completely forgetting anything clever he was going to say about the excited greeting he’d just received. 

“What on Earth are you doing here, Bri? I wasn’t expecting to see you for two more days,” Freddie grinned as their faces still hovered only inches apart. 

“I couldn’t stand the thought of leaving you alone any longer,” Brian honestly answered a little breathlessly, struggling to talk with the full weight of the other man pressing against his chest. 

He frowned when Freddie suddenly stood up, smiling at the way his boyfriend chivalrously held his hand out to help him up and gladly accepting the gesture. “Well I’m honoured that you were so concerned about me,” Freddie continued, hooking his hands in the belt-loops of Brian’s jeans and pulling their bodies close together again, “but what about your family?”

“They don’t live that far away, Fred, it’s really no big deal to leave early...and I was a little sick of being smothered.”

“It must have been better than I felt sitting here all alone, it was dreadfully lonely just getting to speak with you lot over the phone each night. I’ve had to learn how to keep myself occupied without all the madness,” The singer added with a smirk, loving the faint blush that spread across Brian’s cheeks as the innuendo of his statement sank in. 

“Oh, h-have you?” Brian questioned with a stutter thanks to the distracting way Freddie’s fingers ran along the simple pattern of his cable jumper, thickly swallowing when the other man simply nodded while the path of his fingers stopped just where the hem of the sweater met the buckle of his belt. Their encounter didn’t have a chance to move any further, the creaking of the door ruining their stance when they both turned their heads to see who the interrupter was. 

“Sorry I’m late,” John started as he came in similarly to how the singer had by keeping his head down as he shrugged off his coat, “There was some sort of commotion at the station and-”

“Deaky!” Freddie shrieked as he rushed over to the bassist, laughing when John looked up in surprise before getting pushed into the wall by another one of the singer’s passionate greetings. “Oh this day just keeps getting better and better, what did I do to deserve this?”

“Maybe it was your incessant whining over the phone that your life was done for after just a few days without us,” John said in jest as he wrapped his own arms around the oldest, nodding to Brian over Freddie’s shoulder and sharing a chaste kiss with the singer before escaping from his tight grip. “Is Roger here yet?”

Perfectly on queue, the door swung open again to allow a cursing blonde to fumble through it, cursing as he dragged the rather large cardboard box behind him and huffing when he dropped it to the floor with a resounding thud. He didn’t have much time to continue being upset, smiling when Freddie pulled him into a snug hug and pressed light kisses all along his cheeks. 

“Listen, I love you all...but lugging that fake tree here was definitely not worth the struggle,” Roger complained, pulling off his gloves and unbuttoning his coat while the others came close to inspect the box. 

“You bought us a tree?” John asked as he took the drummer’s coat to add it to the others on the rack.

“Well, it’s not full sized but Freddie mentioned not having enough decorations...I figured I had a few extra notes to spare on it. And I had to one-up Brian’s part of the surprise.”

“Fuck, I left the stove on,” Brian whispered before turning on his heel and hurriedly walking towards the kitchen again, causing his three boyfriends to quietly laugh at him before turning their attention back to the plastic tree. 

“It’s perfect, Rog, thank you,” Freddie smiled, pressing another smacking kiss to the blonde’s cheek and letting himself get pulled into another side hug. 

“Of course, you know I’m never one to disappoint,” Roger winked back, cheekily sliding his hand down from Freddie’s hip to rest in the back pocket of his trousers. 

“Oi, I thought we were going to eat first,” Brian chirped as he reentered the room and clearly saw Roger’s true intentions of his stature. 

“Come on, Bri, didn’t you miss us as well?” John asked as he crowded the guitarist’s space and stood on his tiptoes to press a lingering kiss against his lips. 

“Fine,” Brian sighed, letting the bassist settle his hands around his hips and looking between the other men, “But I’m not going to be in the mood to cook afterwards.”


End file.
